The spinal column is a bony column forming the main structural support of the skeleton of a human being and it consists of bony vertebrae linked by flexible joints and held together by ligaments and flexible gelatinous discs of cartilage. The spinal column of an adult human being consists of thirty-three vertebrae in which the last nine of these are fused to form the sacrum and the coccyx at the back of the pelvis. It is known that the spine has a number of curvatures along the sagittal plane, namely, the cervical and lumbar curvatures in which the spine is convex toward the front of the body and the dorsal and sacral curvatures in which the spine is convex toward the back of the body. These alternating curves provide strength and balance to the body and are essential to allowing a person to walk upright.
The lumbar and cervical curves of the spine normally define forward curves of about 35 to about 45 degrees whereby weight is distributed relatively evenly on individual vertebral surfaces and discs. In individuals with lost or reversed cervical and lumbar spinal curves due to injury, illness, genetic predisposition, habitual microtrauma or simply poor posture, the weight of the body bears forwardly on the soft, non-bony intervertebral discs, inhibiting fluid transfer and causing the discs to wear, dehydrate and degenerate. Over time, these individuals exhibit a significant loss of natural joint movement. Lack of natural movement in the spine over time causes a reduction in the imbibition of nutrient rich fluids that normally lubricate and maintain flexibility of the spine. Without this seepage of fluids into the spinal column, the discs will further dehydrate, which may result in further loss of mobility, crippling and possible nerve damage. It is further noted that the intervertebral discs' indigenous vascular fluid supply disappears at approximately 20 years of age. Thus, active nutrient transport of fluids surrounding the spinal column is particularly important to maintaining spinal health of adults.
In addition to spinal traction devices which are well known for stretching the spine longitudinally in order to restore lost mobility, devices have been developed for either passively or actively restoring the normal curves of the spine to prevent the disabling effects of lost or impaired curvature mentioned hereinabove. Passive devices include, for example, the Spinal Column Correction Device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,310 to Hsein. In this device, a user is strapped to a series of raised supports that define what the normal curvatures of the spine should be. According to the inventor, the weight of the user's body will bear against the raised supports to correct abnormal curvature in the spine. A useful device that actively exercises the normal lordotic, i.e. forward, curves of a spine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,226 to Graham entitled Inflatable Cervical Traction and Exercising Device, this patent being incorporated herein by this specific reference thereto. In the Graham patent, a device is disclosed which utilizes an inflatable bladder for actively forcing the cervical spine into a forward semi-circular curve. This exercising of the spine promotes fluid imbibition through the spinal vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,586 to Graham provides for a device and method for maintaining spinal health which utilizes a dual action air chamber defining multiple vectors of force to be applied to a spine, particularly to the lumbar spinal region. The device gradually lifts and separates the vertebrae in a manner that surpasses the effectiveness and comfort of conventional traction devices and passive spinal correction devices.
The present invention provides for a combination abdominal muscle and spine-exercising device utilizing the vectoring of the earlier Graham work and further providing for apparatus capable of exercising abdominal, low-back and pelvic muscles through a rocking action while the spine is simultaneously pneumatically molded into the accepted elliptical configuration of the thoraco-lumbar/lumbo-sacral spine.